Narrative:

The incident that occurred was due to a coordination error involving ATC controllers. Having released 2 adjacent airspaces to 2 different controllers; the error occurred when both controllers were allowed to have the same headings for departing parallel runways with one aircraft departing runway 32L (a heavy jet) and the second departing 30 seconds later on a parallel runway 32R. The faster moving aircraft eventually caught up to the first departure off of runway 32L. As the coordinating controller; I gave up both separate airspaces to 2 different controllers not putting together the fact I gave them both the same heading. Distrs that existed included trying to help ground control understand departure restrs which clearly they didn't. This time spent helped to distract from the primary job of coordinating with other local controllers as well as one's own board. A landline was used with one controller but not the other. Having the landline used may have signaled in my mind that would have connected with the other landline coordination. Ground control increased the local coordination needlessly by sending sporadic departures to the closest runway instead of the most appropriate with the least coordination. The main local controller (myself) could have had all the departures that went to runway 32R thereby limiting coordination. As it was; the coordination kept going back and forth and for more than normal just to use convenience which goes against the normal routine. The mistake occurred during position relief briefings on all 3 local position involved. Sometimes it would be better for the incoming controller to observe for a min or 2 to make the transition smoother for the new and old controller. More eyes means more possibility of catching a mistake occurring during the relief briefings.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ORD TWR CTLR EXPERIENCES OPERROR WHEN FAILING TO REALIZE SAME HDG AUTHS WERE GIVEN TO 2 ADJACENT CTLRS.

Narrative: THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED WAS DUE TO A COORD ERROR INVOLVING ATC CTLRS. HAVING RELEASED 2 ADJACENT AIRSPACES TO 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS; THE ERROR OCCURRED WHEN BOTH CTLRS WERE ALLOWED TO HAVE THE SAME HDGS FOR DEPARTING PARALLEL RWYS WITH ONE ACFT DEPARTING RWY 32L (A HVY JET) AND THE SECOND DEPARTING 30 SECONDS LATER ON A PARALLEL RWY 32R. THE FASTER MOVING ACFT EVENTUALLY CAUGHT UP TO THE FIRST DEP OFF OF RWY 32L. AS THE COORDINATING CTLR; I GAVE UP BOTH SEPARATE AIRSPACES TO 2 DIFFERENT CTLRS NOT PUTTING TOGETHER THE FACT I GAVE THEM BOTH THE SAME HDG. DISTRS THAT EXISTED INCLUDED TRYING TO HELP GND CTL UNDERSTAND DEP RESTRS WHICH CLRLY THEY DIDN'T. THIS TIME SPENT HELPED TO DISTRACT FROM THE PRIMARY JOB OF COORDINATING WITH OTHER LCL CTLRS AS WELL AS ONE'S OWN BOARD. A LANDLINE WAS USED WITH ONE CTLR BUT NOT THE OTHER. HAVING THE LANDLINE USED MAY HAVE SIGNALED IN MY MIND THAT WOULD HAVE CONNECTED WITH THE OTHER LANDLINE COORD. GND CTL INCREASED THE LCL COORD NEEDLESSLY BY SENDING SPORADIC DEPS TO THE CLOSEST RWY INSTEAD OF THE MOST APPROPRIATE WITH THE LEAST COORD. THE MAIN LCL CTLR (MYSELF) COULD HAVE HAD ALL THE DEPS THAT WENT TO RWY 32R THEREBY LIMITING COORD. AS IT WAS; THE COORD KEPT GOING BACK AND FORTH AND FOR MORE THAN NORMAL JUST TO USE CONVENIENCE WHICH GOES AGAINST THE NORMAL ROUTINE. THE MISTAKE OCCURRED DURING POS RELIEF BRIEFINGS ON ALL 3 LCL POS INVOLVED. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THE INCOMING CTLR TO OBSERVE FOR A MIN OR 2 TO MAKE THE TRANSITION SMOOTHER FOR THE NEW AND OLD CTLR. MORE EYES MEANS MORE POSSIBILITY OF CATCHING A MISTAKE OCCURRING DURING THE RELIEF BRIEFINGS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.